HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Birthday, a day that is important to many, a day celebrated annually with cakes, presents, wish-making or even by throwing up a grand party. Many would have their own way of celebrating their birthday, including spending time with family or their partners, or even eating and watching movie alone. Well, that applies to me. Today, most of us depend on facebook to remember someone's birthday, the day when our wall post will be decorated with lots of wishes. This is not applicable of course if your birthday is hidden from others.

What I would like to focus here is not about how everyone had celebrated their birthday, but rather something else which much more precious and important. Have you ever notice that on this very special day when you were delivered to this world, there's a person who had struggled between life and death, and had to endure excruciating pain which is indescribable just to bring a life to this world after nine months of physical patience and mental forbearance? Have you also notice another person who had worked tirelessly for the welfare of the aforementioned person and even worry dead upon knowing that the person is going to struggle between life and death? Yes! They are non other than our mom and dad. They are the one who take all those troubles just to make us feel safe upon coming to this world. I believe, upon cradling us on this special day, tears of gratitude and joy rolled down on their face.

Hence, instead of waiting to blow candles, anticipating for birthday wishes or expecting a present of our wish, why not dedicate our deepest gratitude towards them on this very special day? We can give them a hug or a kiss or even make them have a good rest on that day. If there's chance, we may want to get them to share with us about their experience and feelings upon delivering us to this world. From their sharing, at least we could feel of their difficulties and hardships upon delivering us as well as bringing us up. Being filial is not just something done during certain commemorative days only, but each and every moment. They will be leaving us one day, and that day is not guaranteed when. They might not be leaving at their old age perhaps. We should be lucky that we still have chances to be filial. I had a few orphan friends who wanted to be filial but only through merit dedications. So, being filial is not something that we should procrastinate to do. Don't wait to be filial.

Sukha matteyyata loke

                  atho petteyyata sukha

Sukha samannata loke

                      atho brahmannata sukha

~Dhp. 332~

To be happy in this world is to be dutiful to mother and father, to be happy in this world is also to be dutiful to Samanas and Noble Ones. My life journey continues...